When Daniel Trevisanutto stepped into the bodyshop attached to his family’s Nissan dealership, he wasn’t chasing a dream— he was filling a gap.
The collision centre, like many in a dealership setting, was a forgotten corner of the business. But something about the environment stuck with him: the untapped potential, the pride in the craft and the realization that even the most overlooked departments could become something greater.
That instinct—paired with a commitment to elevate his team, his business and his community—has since become Daniel’s calling card. It’s what led CARSTAR Corporate to nominate him for Collision Repair magazine’s 30 Under 40, citing his leadership in launching a state-of-the-art facility in Thunder Bay, and his vision for modernizing the industry in Northern Ontario and beyond.
“I wanted to create a workspace where the technicians we employed could feel proud of their career path and use their craft to its fullest,” said Daniel. “Seeing the quality of work, production and environment improve for the staff became my motivation.”
In 2023, CARSTAR Thunder Bay opened the doors to its brand- new, ground-up facility. The previous location had been patched together over two decades—functional, but far from ideal. The new shop reflects a clean slate: purpose-built for efficient repairs, smarter workflows and long-term sustainability.
“It represents the hard work put in by my team to develop processes to grow the business and increase our level of service,” said Daniel. “It has started a new chapter… where we will continue to push our knowledge and skills to present the highest quality of collision repair to our city.”
While his sights are set on raising industry standards, Daniel is equally driven by pressing economic concerns. Chief among them: the lack of alignment between consumable costs and insurer compensation.
“The gap that shops face in this area is reaching a critical point,” he said. “It directly relates to our ability to stay profitable and keep our doors open.”
He’s tackling the issue through collaboration and advocacy— participating in performance groups and serving on a franchise advisory council to share real data and push for smarter insurer negotiations. “We all want to see the industry develop in an economically viable manner where we can continue to provide safe, timely repairs to our customers.”
Daniel is just as focused on people as he is on processes. His facility hosts high school co-op students and regularly participates in events like the Level Up Career Fair. He’s raised funds for causes like Cystic Fibrosis Canada and Our Kids Count, while staying visible in the community through local events like the Thunder Bay’s RibFest. He believes the industry needs a major image shift—especially if it hopes to attract the next generation of talent.
“There still needs to be more work done to highlight that our technicians are highly skilled and greatly talented,” he said. “It’s a great career path for people who want to work with their hands and challenge themselves in a constructive and creative way.”
Looking ahead, Daniel is investing in OEM certifications, seeing them as key to building safer, more standardized repairs. The recognition, said Daniel, is a meaningful motivator.
“To know that the efforts I’ve put into it are worth recognition is motivating,” he said. “No one person can run a shop on their own… Having the right people in the right places has made our shop a force to contend with.”
